MOBILE UNIT AND METHOD OF CONVEYING MATERIAL AND REMOVING DUST

Abstract

To allow removal or replacement of mining equipment from a tunnel without unduly limiting the size of the mining equipment or without an unduly excessive cross-section of the tunnel, the mobile unit includes a conveying system having a first and a second transfer area, and a dust extraction system. The conveying system receives mined material in the first transfer area, conveys the received mined material to the second transfer area and dispenses the received and conveyed mined material at the second transfer area. The dust extraction system receives dust-laden air, extracts dust from the dust-laden air and discharges air from which dust is extracted. The mobile unit includes a first and/or a second dust collector for collecting dust-laden air from the first and/or second transfer area, respectively, with the first and/or second dust collector being arranged to supply the collected dust-laden air to the dust extraction system for dust extraction.

Claims

1. A mobile unit for a mine tunnel, comprising: a conveying system having a first and a second transfer area; a dust extraction system, wherein the conveying system is arranged to receive mined material in the first transfer area, to convey the received mined material to the second transfer area and to dispense the received and conveyed mined material at the second transfer area, and wherein the dust extraction system is arranged to receive dust-laden air, to extract dust from the dust-laden air and to discharge air from which dust is extracted; and a first and/or a second dust collector arranged to collect dust-laden air from the first and/or second transfer area, respectively, with the first and/or second dust collector being arranged to supply the collected dust-laden air to the dust extraction system for dust extraction.

2. The mobile unit according to claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger connected to an external unit, the external unit being external to the mobile unit, wherein the heat exchanger is arranged to receive a fluid having a first temperature from the external unit to cause a heat transfer from the fluid to air flowing inside the dust extraction system and to return the fluid having a second temperature lower than the first temperature to the external unit.

3. The mobile unit according to claim 1, wherein the dust extraction system includes a fan unit, a filter unit and a diffuser unit.

4. The mobile unit according to claim 3, wherein the fan unit includes at least one of a radial fan, an axial fan and a silencer.

5. The mobile unit according to claim 3, wherein the filter unit is a dry filter unit.

6. The mobile unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second dust collectors each include a channel arranged to at least partially enclosing the first and second transfer area, respectively.

7. The mobile unit according to claim 1, wherein the dust extraction system is connected to an exhaust channel for receiving dust-laden air.

8. The mobile unit according to claim 1, wherein the second transfer area is arranged for dispensing of mined material to a truck.

9. The mobile unit according to claim 1, further comprising an undercarriage allowing a movement of the mobile unit.

10. The mobile unit according to claim 1, wherein the dust extraction system is arranged in parallel to the conveying system and arranged to receive dust-laden air from an area forward of the first transfer area and to discharge air from which dust is extracted to an area rearward of the second transfer area.

11. A mobile unit for a mine tunnel, comprising: a conveying system having a first and a second transfer area; and a dust extraction system, wherein the conveying system is arranged to receive mined material in the first transfer area, to convey the received mined material to the second transfer area and to dispense the received and conveyed mined material at the second transfer area, and wherein the dust extraction system is arranged to receive dust-laden air, to extract dust from the dust-laden air and to discharge air from which dust is extracted, the dust extraction system including a dry filter unit for dust extraction.

12. A method of conveying material and removing dust in a mine tunnel, comprising the steps of: moving a mobile unit having a conveying system and a dust extraction system in the mine tunnel such that a first transfer area of the conveying system is located to receive mined material from a mining machine; receiving, by the conveying system, mined material in the first transfer area; conveying, by the conveying system, the received mined material to a second transfer area of the conveying system; dispensing the received and conveyed mined material at the second transfer area; receiving, by the dust extraction system, dust-laden air from an area of the mining machine; extracting dust from the dust-laden air; discharging air from which dust is extracted; collecting dust-laden air from the first and/or second transfer area, respectively; and supplying the collected dust-laden air to the dust extraction system for dust extraction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Preferred embodiments of the invention shall now be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which

[0040] FIG. 1: shows a perspective view of a mobile unit according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0041] FIG. 2: shows a side elevation of the mobile unit illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0042] FIG. 3: shows a perspective view of the mobile unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 together with a mining machine and a truck;

[0043] FIG. 4: shows a schematic illustration of a mobile unit according to another embodiment of the invention and

[0044] FIG. 5: shows a flow diagram of a method of conveying material and removing dust in a mine tunnel in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a mobile unit 10 according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0046] The mobile unit 10 includes a dust extraction system 25, which is arranged in parallel to a conveying system (not shown in this perspective view, see FIG. 4). The dust extraction system 25 includes a connector 65 to an exhaust channel of a mining machine (see FIG. 3), a fan unit 40, a filter unit 45 and a diffuser unit 50, arranged in this order along a longitudinal axis of the mobile unit 10.

[0047] The mobile unit 10 is further provided with an undercarriage 70, which allows independent movement of the mobile unit 10. The conveying system has a first transfer area 15, located in the forward direction of the mobile unit 10, i.e. close to the mining machine (see FIG. 3) and a second transfer area 20, arranged on a rearward side of the mobile unit 10. The first and second transfer area 15, 20 are, respectively, housed in a first dust collector 30 and a second dust collector 35, which enclose the areas 15, 20 by means of channels 55, 60. The first and second dust collector 30, 35, respectively, are provided such that they, by means of negative pressure, collect dust in the first and second transfer area 15, 20, wherein the resulting dust-laden air is forwarded by the first and second dust collector 30, 35 to the dust extraction system 25.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of the mobile unit 10 illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0049] As it can be seen, for example, from FIG. 2, the mobile unit 10 rests on the undercarriage 70, which allows a movement of the mobile unit 10 by means of wheels provided on the undercarriage.

[0050] In the arrangement of FIG. 2, the mining machine (see FIG. 3) is provided on the left side and provides mined material to the first transfer area 15, while furthermore providing dust-laden air to the connector 65 of the dust extraction system 25. It is not necessarily the case that the channels 55, 60 extend all the way down to the ground level on which the wheels of the undercarriage 70 rest, as long as the channels 55, 60 or more generally the dust collectors 30, 35 sufficiently collect dust generated at the first and second transfer area 15, 20.

[0051] The second transfer area 20 is provided on the right side of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 and is arranged to receive any kind of container such as a truck, into which the mined material is dispensed from the conveying system (see FIG. 3 or FIG. 4).

[0052] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a mobile unit 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 together with a mining machine 75 and a truck 80.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the mobile unit 25 is provided between the mining machine 75 and the truck 80.

[0054] The mining machine 75 provides mined material to the first transfer area 15, where the mined material is received by the conveying system and forwarded to the second transfer area 20, where the mined material is dispensed by the conveying system to the truck 80.

[0055] In parallel, dust-laden air is collected by the mining machine 75 in a conventional manner and is forwarded via an exhaust channel 115 of the mining machine 75 and the connector 65 to the dust extraction system 25.

[0056] In the dust extraction system 25, dust is extracted or removed from the air and air, from which dust is extracted, is discharged through the diffuser unit 50.

[0057] By means of tubing 85 and/or channels 90, fresh air is provided by the mine to the area of the vicinity of the mobile unit 10.

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a mobile unit 10 according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0059] As it can be seen from FIG. 4, in the mobile unit 10, a fan unit 40, a filter unit 45 and a diffuser unit 50 of a dust extraction system are provided in parallel to a conveying system 95 having a first and a second transfer area 15, 20.

[0060] The conveying system 95 receives mined material at the first transfer area and dispenses the mined material received at the second transfer area 20, as it is illustrated by the dotted arrows in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, only the second transfer area 20 is provided with a dust collector 35, wherein channels 60 enclose the transfer area 20.

[0061] The dust collector 35 is arranged to forward dust-laden air collected and the second transfer area 20 to the dust extraction system, more specifically to a connector 65 of the dust extraction system.

[0062] At the connector 65, the dust extraction system receives dust-laden air, not only from the dust collector 35 but also from the mining machine (see FIG. 3). The air passes through the fan unit 40, which includes an axial fan 105 and a silencer 110. Further, the dust-laden air reaches the filter unit 45, where dust is removed and extracted from the air. The filter unit 45 is furthermore provided with a heat exchanger 100, which is used for cooling parts of the mining machine, as illustrated by the double headed arrow in FIG. 4. Eventually, the air, from which dust is extracted, reaches the diffuser 50, where the air is discharged from the dust extraction system, while the combination of diffuser unit 50 and channel 60 provides a direction of the discharged air as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0063] FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of a method of conveying material and removing dust in a mine tunnel in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

[0064] In a first step 200 of the method of conveying material and removing dust, a mobile unit according to the invention, i.e. having a conveying system and a dust extraction system, is moved in the mine tunnel to a location such that a first transfer area of the conveying system can receive mined material from a mining machine.

[0065] In a first branch of the method, by the conveying system, mined material is received (step 205) in the first transfer area, followed by a conveying step 210 of conveying the received mined material to a second transfer area of the conveying system, where, in step 215, the received and conveyed mined material is dispensed.

[0066] In parallel, i.e. a second branch of the method, the dust extraction system receives, in step 220 dust-laden air from an area of the mining machine. In an extraction step 225, dust is extracted from the dust-laden air, wherein air, from which dust is extracted, is discharged in step 230.

[0067] Further, the method includes a step of collecting (step 235) dust-laden air from the first and/or second transfer area, respectively, and a step of supplying (step 240) the collected dust-laden air to the dust extraction system for dust extraction (step 225).

[0068] It is to be noted that the processes illustrated here are typically continuous processes, so that in an actual implementation basically all of steps 205 to 240 occurs simultaneously.

[0069] In small cross sections, where a cutting machine could not tram back underneath conventional rigid exhaust tubing, an embodiment of the invention allows for an alternative approach in that, for example, a mobile dust extraction unit is positioned directly behind the cutting machine which can tram out of the heading in case of the need for a place change of the cutting machine. The mobile unit in this example includes a mobile dust extractor unit, an axial or radial fan unit, an air discharge diffuser, an integrated conveyor to transfer the cut material from the machine to a truck, integrated dust collection boxes to extract the dust from the conveyor discharge to the truck, and an undercarriage for independent tramming, wherein there is provided an integration of cooling units for the mining machine into the air discharge diffuser of the dust extractor.

[0070] Further, in the example, the dust extractor (including the fan and a diffuser for discharging the clean(ed) air) is equipped with an undercarriage for tramming to be able to move out of a heading together with the mining machine. The diffuser for discharging the clean(ed) air is directed towards a sidewall of the heading in order to allow an exchange with the fresh air supply which is provided by the mine at the opposite side of the heading by a flexible ventilation tubing or via an air channel.

[0071] In this mobile unit a conveyor is integrated in order to transfer the cut material from the mining machine in front of the dust extractor to a truck which is positioned behind the unit.

[0072] In the discharging part of this transfer-conveyor, a dust collection box to extract the dust from the conveyor discharge to the truck is integrated. Suction devices create an under pressure in this area to collect the dust which is directly fed into the dust extractor unit.

[0073] Although in the figures, the above discussed aspects are shown in combination, the different aspects described herein also can be applied separately.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0074] 10 mobile unit

[0075] 15 first transfer area

[0076] 20 second transfer area

[0077] 25 dust extraction system

[0078] 30 first dust collector

[0079] 35 second dust collector

[0080] 40 fan unit

[0081] 45 filter unit

[0082] 50 diffuser unit

[0083] 55 channel

[0084] 60 channel

[0085] 65 connector to exhaust channel

[0086] 70 undercarriage

[0087] 75 external unit/mining machine

[0088] 80 truck

[0089] 85 fresh air pipe

[0090] 90 fresh air channel

[0091] 95 conveying system

[0092] 100 heat exchanger

[0093] 105 axial fan

[0094] 110 silencer

[0095] 115 exhaust channel

[0096] 200 moving

[0097] 205 receiving mined material

[0098] 210 conveying mined material

[0099] 215 dispensing mined material

[0100] 220 receiving dust-laden air

[0101] 225 extracting dust

[0102] 230 discharging air

[0103] 235 collecting dust-laden air

[0104] 240 supplying dust-laden air